(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to bicycle handbrakes, and more specifically to the conduit structure of bicycle handbrakes.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a bicycle handbrake assembly is fixedly locked, using the front wheel as an example, to the front fork at a specific position. The wheel is positioned between the left and right brake arms of the handbrake assembly, with the wheel rim facing directly to the brake pads.
A long and narrow connection seat is riveted to a top portion of the left brake arm. At an end opposite to the rivet point, the connection seat has a slot for accommodating a connector at an end of the brake cable conduit. The conduit has a tube on the other end having a larger diameter. A brake wire is inserted in the conduit and extends out from the connector end to be fixedly locked to the right brake arm. The brake wire such arranged exerts a counter force on the brake arms to balance the force pushing the brake arms outward by their return springs. The brake arms are therefore parallel to each other at either sides of the wheel.
Under this balanced condition, there are only tiny gaps between the wheel rim and the brake pads. It is therefore difficult to disassemble the wheel from or assemble the wheel to the bicycle frame through such tiny gaps.
Conventionally, the brake wire is tightened or loosed by a bolt. The bolt is therefore screwed so that the brake wire is not stretched and exerts no counter force on the brake arms. As such, the return springs push the brake arms apart form each other, enlarging the gaps between the brake pad and the wheel rim. The wheel therefore could be disassembled from the bicycle frame through the enlarged gaps.
Using a bolt to control the brake wire is often quite inconvenient as, after the wheel is assembled to the bicycle frame; constant trial and error in adjusting the brake wire's tightness is inevitable.